The Mystery of DB Cooper
by jemb
Summary: Booth and Brennan become involved in a thirty year old FBI case when remains are found in Washington State. FINAL CHAPTER UP Booth and Brennan return to D.C. Will their relationship be any different? You'll have to read to find out :
1. Chapter 1

**_I first started writing this story at the end of last year but hit a major case of writers block. BonesDBchippie, I dedicate this story to you for being my beta and for all the additional help you gave me. I never would have got this posted if you hadn't offered your help and being so patient with me. _**

_**The story is based on a real FBI case but it is filled with fluff, comfort, danger and a little romance for good measure. Please review because I love to know what all you readers think. **_

In Temperance Brennan's office at the Jeffersonian Institute, Angela folds her arms across her chest and perches on the edge of Brennan's desk.

"Booth sweetie, will you stand still please." Angela asks in a soothing but firm tone. Booth has been pacing Brennan's office on and off for over half an hour.

"She's late; she should be back by now." Booth stops for a moment to glance at his watch then continues pacing. When his back is to the office door Angela stands up to greet the figure that has just appeared in the doorway.

"Bren sweetie, welcome back." She walks over and hugs her friend. Booth spins around when he hears Angela's voice and only gives the two a few seconds before he charges over.

"Bones, I need you to come with me." He says as he grasps her arm.

"Booth, I've just driven in horrendous traffic for five hours." Brennan tells him. "I'm not going anywhere but home." She walks over to her desk and picks up a thin folder.

"Sorry Bones, this case is too important." Booth rubs his hands together excitedly.

"Bren, he's not kidding." Angela says with a serious look on her face. "Just be thankful I stopped him from coming to drag you away from the conference two days ago."

"It can't be that important if you waited two days." Brennan smirks.

"D.B Cooper is very important." Booth retorts.

"D.B Cooper?" Brennan asks.

"You know, the guy that hijacked a plane and parachuted out with a bunch of money years ago." Angela tells her, making it more of a statement that a question.

"Right, I remember hearing about that once." Brennan stuffs the file she has been holding into her bag and walks back over to the door.

"It was in 1971. Cooper hijacked a North West Airlines 727, handed a note to a stewardess demanding $200,000 and four parachutes." Booth explains. "He threatened to blow up the plane and all the passengers if his demands weren't met. They were and after getting the money and parachutes, Cooper had the plane take off and ordered the pilot to fly no higher than 10,000 feet and no faster than 200mph." A grin comes over Booth's face as he gets to the good part. "He then jumped out the plane taking the money with him." Brennan stands with one hand on her hip looking skeptical.

"Didn't a kid find some of the money on a river bank?" Angela asks.

"Yeah, eight years after the hijacking." Booth states. "The serial numbers matched the money given to Cooper. And now a skeleton has been found in the area where it's believed he would have landed. We need to go there. Now." Booth stares impatiently at his partner.

"It doesn't exactly sound urgent Booth. Can't this wait until tomorrow when I've had a chance to go home and at least sleep?" Brennan asks.

"You can sleep on the plane." Booth takes her elbow and starts steering her out the office.

"Booth, I don't even have any clean clothes." Brennan protests. Booth glances at Angela then sighs.

"Fine, we'll swing by your apartment on the way to the airport. We should still make the flight."

"Booth." Brennan pleads. He merely smiles.

"Let's go. Chop chop." As he ushers a reluctant Brennan out the door. She glances back at Angela who shrugs helplessly and signals for Brennan to call her.

XxXxXxXxX

Two hours later Booth and Brennan are in the departure lounge waiting to board their flight having made it to Brennan's apartment in record time for new clothes then to the airport to get through security checks. Booth is pacing the floor of the lounge while Brennan slumps in an uncomfortable chair, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair and propping her chin up with her hand.

"Booth, you're giving me sore neck. Will you please sit down or at least stop pacing." Brennan sighs heavily. "It's bad enough our flight is delayed."

"Sorry Bones." Booth slides into the chair next to her. "But this is big. This case…it's huge." He grins. "No one has been able to prove what happened to Cooper. Some believe he died on landing because the terrain where he jumped is pretty rough. Others think he landed and made it back to civilisation, changing his appearance and living the high life. This woman in Florida, Joe Weber, is convinced her husband Duane was D.B Cooper. Apparently he confessed on his deathbed."

"And you?" Brennan asks.

"He was a criminal but part of me wants to believe he succeeded." Booth grins. "Rationally though, I doubt he survived and it would be great if we could close one of the FBI's biggest unsolved cases." Brennan notices the glint in Booth's eyes and it sparks a little something inside her. She may be tired but Booth is right, this case could be interesting.

"Hey, you want some coffee?" Booth asks suddenly. Brennan sits up a little. "You look like you could use it." He comments.

"Thanks Booth." Brennan says sarcastically. "You know, I'd be a lot more awake if we could have left for this little 'adventure' tomorrow. We're going to be arriving in the middle of the night now and I won't get much sleep." She rolls her eyes and adjusts her position again.

"Sorry Bones." Booth shrugs before standing and disappearing off to find some coffee. He's far too excited about the case to think about sleep.

XxXxXxXxX

When Booth returns to the lounge with a cup of coffee in each hand he finds Brennan curled up on the seats looking somewhat uncomfortable. Her legs are tucked right up to her chest and her head is resting on her arms which are acting as a barrier between her head and the cold metal of the seat. Booth smiles as he looks down at her. Brennan can be a real firecracker when she's awake but when she sleeps she looks so peaceful and calm. He sits down next to her and places her coffee on the floor. Setting his own coffee down on the seat next to him Booth slips his jacket off and folds it up. Then gently lifting Brennan's arms, he slides his jacket under her head and lowers her back down. She moans softly but remains asleep. Picking up his coffee, Booth takes a long drink and thinks about the adventure to come.

XxXxXxXxX

A female voice comes over the tanoy a few hours later. "Passengers on flight 413 please prepare for boarding." At the sound of the announcement, Booth sits up a little and looks down at Brennan who is still sleeping soundly, oblivious to the activity around her.

"Bones." Booth shakes her shoulder gently. "Hey Bones, our flight is ready to board." Brennan stirs and pushes herself up as she wakens.

"I'm awake." She mutters as she gathers her wits. As she rubs her eyes, Booth picks his jacket up and slips it back on.

"Come on." Booth stands up and pulls their tickets from his jacket pocket. Brennan trails after Booth with her bag dragging across the floor, as he heads for the gate. A few minutes later they are walking onto the plane and being shown to the business class seats Booth booked. In a few short hours they'll be touching down to investigate the remains believed to be that of the infamous D.B Cooper.

**_Please review, seeing my inbox full makes me feel so good._**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Okay, so not many reviews for the first chapter. Hopefully this second one will capture a bit more interest. _**

**_Thanks to BonesDBchippie for being my beta and fixing all my silly mistakes. _**

**_Krisnina7, bandbfan2, Ampersand Ellipsis, Lioness-Rampant, FormerlyPrincess-VintageQueen, thanks for your reviews, I'm glad you liked the beginning. Now, on with chapter two..._**

First thing in the morning, Brennan picks up her backpack with supplies for collecting evidence, a change of clothing, a few toiletries and her sleep clothes, now knowing she and Booth are going to be spending the night out in the woods to maximise the time they have for collecting evidence. After ensuring she has everything she needs, she steps out of the motel room into the early morning sun. She and Booth landed about one in the morning but it was nearly three by the time they got to their motel due to itsremote location. A few hours sleep in a comfortable bed on top of the rest at the airport and on the plane itself have left her feeling more refreshed.

"Morning Bones." Booth is standing outside her door with coffee, a white paper bag she knows contains a doughnut and a smile. "Here."

"Thanks Booth." Brennan takes the coffee and returns the smile,but passes on the doughnut and indicates this with a wave ofher hand.

"Come on Bones, a bit of sugar will really get you going." Booth grins.

"I still pass."

"Your loss." Booth shrugs and turns when he hears a vehicle approaching.

"Is that our ride?"

"Looks like it." Booth walks towards the vehicle as it comes to a stop. A tall dark haired park ranger steps out the vehicle and beams a smile at Brennan.

"Morning folks." He says. "I'm Ranger Walker. The chopper's waiting so if you grab your gear we'll get going. We got some good weather for rappelling this morning." Brennan looks a little confused by the Rangers words because she thought they were driving up so she turns to Booth.

"Did I forget to tell you?" Booth feigns innocence at not mentioninghow they were getting to the remains.

"Booth." Brennan glares at him as she picks up her backpack from the doorway and heads towards the chopper. Booth shoots a sheepish grin to her and follows close behind not liking how the ranger was smiling at Brennan.

XxXxXxXxX

An hour later Brennan and Booth are in a helicopter, hovering over a clearing in the middle of a wide expanse of woods.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Booth asks as he adjusts the strap on Brennan's helmet at her chin, a smirk toying at the corner of his lips. She merely glares at him playfully and pushes his hand away from her face.

"You two set?" Ranger Walker asks.

"Yes." Brennan steps up to the door of the helicopter and allows the ranger to check her safety belt, giving him a wide smile.

"We're right over the spot now. All you guys have to do is rappel down and a couple of my guys will be waiting." The ranger almost shouts over the whirl of the chopper blades.

"How far is it?" Booth asksloudly.

"We're about fifty feet up. I'd like to go lower but the wind from the propellers could blow you into the trees."

"Ready Bones?" Booth gives her a wide grin and a squeeze of her forearm.

"After you." She smiles and nods her head.

"Right." He laughs. Brennan and Booth move to the edge of the helicopter and on the mark of the Ranger, they lean back and begin the descent.

XxXxXxXxX

Booth lands first and is immediately assisted by another ranger on the forest floor who introduces himself as Ranger Jenkins. As he is freed from the harness and he removes his safety helmet, Brennan drops in beside him, with a flushed face and a grin.

"Have fun?" he asks with a wide smile.

"What?" Brennan can't hear him over the whirlingof the helicopter blades. Booth just shakes his head and smiles as Brennan is also freed from the harness. Once free, Brennan brings her hand up to her face to take off her helmet. As she fumbles slightlywith the clasp, Booth moves in front of her and takes over. She lowers her hands and allows him to unclip the strapHis eyes lock on hers as his fingers brush against her chin sending a tingle through her chest.As he liftsthe helmet off her head, releasing her auburn hair that was tucked underneath, he momentarily revels in the highlights shinning against the suns glow. She immediately runs her fingers through it, subconsciously making sure she looks okay and breaking eye contact with Booth. Booth introduces Brennan to the Ranger just before they gather up the harnesses and equipment.

"Where are the remains?" Brennan asks, turning to the ranger.

"Right over here ma'am." Ranger Jenkins points up a small hill. Brennan sets off with Booth and the ranger at her heels.

"She's straight to the point huh?" Jenkins says to Booth, nodding towards Brennan.

"You have no idea" Booth mumbles under his breath as he hurries to catch up to Brennan.

XxXxXxXxX

Within ten minutesthe group arrive at the site. Brennan glances around then strides over to the cordoned off area where skeletal remains are protrudingout of the ground. Booth watches her as she does her thing, snapping pictures of the scene and crouching down to examine the remains, never tiring of watching her delicate hands move and the intensity of her face while working. Ranger Jenkins stands next to Booth admiring Brennan's concentration, stating more than asking Booth,

"They said she's the best there is". Booth answers Jenkins with a definitive nod, and a smirk playing on his lips.

"She most definitely is. One of the top in the whole country". Jenkins voices his acknowledgement with a 'huh' sort of grunt and a shake of his head, seeming impressed.

"Looks like a male, late thirties early forties." Brennan states. "Skull shows signs of trauma, could indicate an attack, possibly from a heavy blunt object I won't know for sure without a thorough examination back at the lab." Brennan moves around the siteand begins extricating the remains from the dirt, placing them in bags which she then labels, preparing them to be crated and ready for transport back to the Jeffersonian.

"How long has he been here?" Booth asks.

"A long time but the bones are in good condition considering. I'd estimate they've been here for approximatelyfifteen to twenty years. Not more than twenty five for sure. There would be more bone degradation, although there are signs of what may possibly be animal bite marks, again I won't know for sure without a more thorough exam."

"So D.B Cooper lived after he jumped." Booth says hopefully.

"_If _it's D.B Cooper." Brennan reminds him to remain objective as smirk plays on her lips.

"Right, right, IF." Booth rolls his eyes as Brennan continues her work, thoughts of possibilities running through his mind at the prospect of it actually being Cooper.

XxXxXxXxX

A few hours later, Brennan watches, shielding her eyes from the sun, as a cratefilled with the remains is hoisted up to the helicopter. Ranger Walker has arranged for the remains to be transported to the Jeffersonian. As she looks up into the sky, Booth steps up behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder not wanting to startle her.

"You ready to carry on?" he asks. Brennan keeps her eye on the crate until it disappears into the safety of the helicopter. Only then does she turn to Booth.

"Yes." She replies with a bit of levity in her voice.

"Okay, great." Booth rubs his hands together in excitement. _He's got that childlike enthusiastic look again, it's so cute - I'll bet that's where Parker gets it from_Brennan thinks.

"Agent Booth, I have the camping gear you asked for ready." Ranger Jenkins appears with a large backpack and tent.

"Thanks." Booth takes the backpack from him and slings it over his shoulder. "There's a radio in there too. We're on frequency 8. If you get into any trouble just call. There are a few of us rangers around the area over the next few days and everyone has been made aware of you and Dr. Brennan being out here."

"Good to know." Booth nods.

"Here's the map and compass." Ranger Jenkins hands over the two essential items. "This terrain can get pretty treacherous if a big storm hits. We're due some rain so be prepared for it to get wet." Booth grimaces at the prospect of being out in the wilderness and getting wet.

"Thank you." Brennan tells him as she cheekily takes the map out of his hands, taking note of the look on Booth's face. He glares at her playfully then turns to Ranger Jenkins.

"When you're ready to head back to town, give me a call on the radio and I'll arrange for a pick-up." Ranger Jenkins tells Booth.

"Thanks." Booth nods. "Come on Bones, we should get started, we're already losing light." He ushers her gently forwards with his hand at her back, and the equipment shouldered.

"Okay folks, be careful out there." Ranger Jenkins bids them goodbye and watches until Booth and Brennan have disappeared into the dense woods.

XxXxXxXxX

Starting back at the dig site, Booth and Brennanbegin searching the area around where the bones were found for further clues. They split up to quicken the search with Booth heading west and Brennan going east, widening the perimeter as they go. Still, they remain with shouting distance of each other for safety. A couple of hours of searching reveals nothing and Brennan is beginning to wonder if this whole case will be a pointless activity. Then she spots something.

"Booth!" Brennan calls out. He turns around and his eyes scan the woods looking for her. He spots her crouched down aboutthirty feet away.

"What have you got?" Booth asks as he closes in on her position.

"A shoe." Brennan picks it up with a gloved hand and shows Booth.

"Man's, looks like a size nine or ten." Booth comments.

"I'll bag it." Brennan tugs a plastic evidence from her bag and puts the shoe inside before writing a label on the bag. As she does so, Booth starts looking around and spots another shoe and what looks like pieces of a jacket.

"Over here Bones." He calls to her and she moves to his position to bag the items. Neither can tell right now if they will be of any real help in the case but its better than nothing. When a lengthy search reveals no further evidence, Booth gestures for Brennan to lead the way, admiring for a moment the way her hips sway when she walks. Quickly he catches up to her and the two carry on their way into the hills. There is still plenty of land to cover.

XxXxXxXxX

As the sun falls lower in the sky, Booth comes to a stop in a small clearing and turns in a circle as Brennan plants her hands on her hips and watches.

"What are you doing?" Brennan asks.

"I think we should make camp here."

"Here?" Brennan looks aroundincredulous of the area.

"Yes. Here." Booth takes the backpack off and places it on the ground before crouching beside it and pulling the two-man tent out of the protective bag.

"Can you give me a hand here Bones." He calls over his shoulder. She reluctantly makes her way over and drops her own small backpack.

"Stop pouting Bones." Booth says without turning around. "I thought you'd like camping out."

"I am not pouting." Brennan denies. "And I do like camping, just not when I'm tired from a long trip."

"I knowBones, I'm tired too. Here, take these." Booth passes her a small bag with tent pegs and a mallet.Meeting her eyes he can see she's just as tired as he is. He offers her a half-hearted charm smile and begins his task. Ina matter of minutes he has the tent set up. Brennan moves around the tent pegging it down and adjusting the guideropes.

"There." Booth steps back to admire their work. He decides to discretely double check the pegging just to make sure the ropes are properly anchored._I just hope it stays up all night_ he says as he crosses his fingers behind his back.

XxXxXxXxX

Within an hour Booth has a fire going and is boiling some water in a small pan. Brennan is sitting with her legs crossed leafing through a book. When the water has boiled, Booth pours it into two small cups and passes one to Brennan.

"Mmmm." She inhales the aroma of the coffee.

"Here." He then tosses her a pack of sandwiches, enjoying the sound of the hum that came from her. The two eat and drink in a comfortable silence. A**s** the fire slowly burnswithout her noticing, Booth catches glimpses of Brennan in the firelight, enjoying how her fair skin glows. When dinner is over and their cups repacked, Booth scooches down and lies on his back with his arms folded under his head. Brennan glances over and sees a goofy smile on his face.

"What are you smiling at?" she asks with a questioning look and a slight smile,as she closes the book and places it beside her.

"Nothing." He replies.

"It must be something." Brennan twists to face him.

"It's just nice to see the stars." Booth tells her. "You don't see them like this in the city." He pats the ground beside him and Brennan scoots over and lies down beside him. She stares up at the sky, admiring the bright white stars filling the vast space above her. She doesn't notice that Booth has stopped staring at the stars and is now busy staring at her.

They lie in silence until the fire burns low and the warmth it provided is gone. Getting to his feet Booth offers her his hand he pulls her up as well.

"I guess we'd better get into the tent before it gets too cold. You want to go first? To change, you know, into something more comfortable?" He gestures towards the tent offering her first chance.

"Yeah, thanks". She heads to the small tent to change into some sweats and a tank top and a pair of canvas slip-ons to protect her feet at the camp site. Emerging a few moments later ready for sleep, she offers Booth a smile.

"Your turn". He takes a few seconds to admire her form in the relaxed clothing, a form fitting tank and sweats riding low on her hips. He blinks twice, casting his eyes towards the tent, hoping she didn't catch his momentary oggling. He nods his thanks and disappears into the tent. As she stands by the dying fire waiting, Booth takes very little time to change into his sweats as well, not wanting to leave her standing in the chilled night air. He leaves his wife-beater on for the sake of being in the small confined area with her - normally he sleep in just his boxers, but this IS camping after all.

Within a few short minutes Booth is changed and unzipping the canvas hut.

"All done Bones, come on you'll get cold if you stay out there any longer." He holds the flap open for her to crawl in and begins the task of folding up his clothes and packing them in his bag. The small lantern that he brought provides minimal light and not wanting to drain the battery he finishes his task quickly. He watches Brennan, who is sitting sideways, brush out her hair and begin to separate and braid it into pigtails. She feels his eyes on her and glances over to see him staring with a small smile on his face.

"What?" she asks, a little puzzled at the expression he's wearing.

"Nothing...I just wouldn't of...pictured you...uh, you know, wearing your hair like that - I like it that way." He says in the dim lighting of tent, hoping it's dim enough to disguise the goofy look on his face.

"Um thank you." Brennan is a little surprised by his compliment. "I don't normally but I just don't want to look like a mop head when I wake up in the morning" she says with a chuckle. Booth nods his head and wonders if he'll even be able to sleep tonight with her so close in the confines of the small tent

Booth chuckles at her comment and adds, "Well, I'm no beauty pageant winner in the morning either". Still smiling, he thinks to himself , _I'll definitely be having good dreams tonight_.

"Booth you know I've never been in a beauty pageant! It's degrading for women to parade around in evening gowns and bathing suits to be judged by...why would anyone..."

Booth effectively cuts off her anthropological rant, "Bones! It was just a joke! I didn't mean anything derogatory by it. I only meant that my hair isn't going to be all neat and tidy in the morning and I'll probably look like a mop head!"

Brennan's mouth forms an "O" and looks sheepishly down at the sleeping bag she is sitting on. She had stopped braiding during her rant and now continues with downcast eyes. She finishes braiding and ties an elastic around each end.

"It looks nice Bones", he says with only a hint of a smile playing on his face as he reaches across the small space and tucks a missed piece of hair behind her ear. "We better hit the hay and get some sleep. We've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

"I know that one!" she exclaims as her eyes light up. "Russ used to use that phrase". Booth chuckles, the sound coming from deep in his chest. "Although, the phrase itsself is not logical, I never understood why anyone would want to hit hay", she gave a quizzical glance at him.

Booth chuckles once more, not wanting to get in to a discussion about hay and where or how to hit it he simply told her,

"Come on get in your sleeping bag so I can shut this light off before we run the battery down."

Crawling in her bag and manoeuvring to get comfortable she nods to Booth it is okay to shut off the light. Doing the same he lays back with his finger poised over the switch, "All set?"

"Yes".

Flipping off the switch and pushing the lamp towards the top of the tent he whispers "Nite Bones...Sweet dreams".

"Nite Booth", she says with a yawn and thinking that she was most definitely going to have sweet dreams with Booth so close by.

XxXxXxXxX

In the dark of night, Brennan rolls onto her back and squirms.

"Bones, you got a problem over there?" Booth mumbles having been woken from his slumber by her movements.

"No." she replies before squirming again.

"Bones..." Booth sighs.

"I'm sorry but there is a massive lump right under my back and it's really hot in here." She complains, finally sitting up to alleviate the pain.

"So move and get out the sleeping bag." Booth says, his eyes still closed and his body position unchanged.

"I don't have anywhere to move to and if I get out I'll be too cold." Brennan states, wishing she could just take her sweats off she'd be more comfortable in her tank and underwear in the sleeping bag.

"When did you start to moan so much?" Booth asks. "What happened to the woman who spent two months in a mud hut in Guatemala?"

"I've barely slept in three days. I'm grumpy." Brennan states rather matter of factly.

"So move over here and go to sleep." Booth sounds frustrated as he pats the space right next to him. Brennan contemplates the move and how close it will put her to Booth.

"Fine." Brennan agrees before she pushes the sleeping bag down to her waist and scoots over beside Booth. When she lies down she feels her arm pressing against his. She immediately stiffens at the contact, nervous about being so close.

"Happy now?" Booth asks.

"Happier." Brennan mutters. She thinks of wriggling out of her sweatpants, but not wanting to irritate Booth any further, she wills her body to relax and hoping that the unzipped bag will cool her down.

"Good, now go to sleep."

XxXxXxXxX

When Booth wakes early in the morning he feels an unusual weight on him. When he opens his eyes and peers down he sees Brennan's head on his chest and notices that he's wrapped his arm around her. Errant strands of herauburn hair that came loose from the braids lieacross his wife beater and her arm is draped across his stomach. He takes a moment to study her face and the arm draped across him. Her skin is so smooth and the creaminess of it almost makes her look like a statue. She is absolutely beautiful and he wonders how he will manage to spend the rest of the trip keeping his hands to himself. And right now as he lies with her in his arms, he thinks this is the most perfect moment. Lifting his arm he brings his hand down on the back of her head and strokes her hair, relishing the warmth her body provides his. She looks so peaceful he doesn't want to wake her, especially given her current position. Once she had resettled herself in the middle of the night he could resume his dream state. Having her so close to him just intensified his dreams and they were dreams he would never forget.

He knows Brennan and she'll probably be panickedabout being in what she'll see as a compromising situation with him. So moving as gently as he can, Booth twists his body and slides out from under Brennan before lowering her gently to the ground, stroking her hair once more. He then crawls out his sleeping bag and across the tent. Opening the flaphe steps out into the bright morning sunshineSlipping his shoes on heheads off to gather fresh firewood, thinking of how wonderful it was to sleep so close to her.

XxXxXxXxX

When Brennan wakes she realises she no longer has the comfortable pillow she had all night. A sly grin crosses her face as she recalls waking to the sound of an owl and finding herself splayed across Booth with his arm around her. A few months ago she would have totally "freaked out" (to use Angela's terminology), at being in that position but things are different now. Not only have she and Booth become closer as friends but she's even been able to admit to herself that she has feelings for him that go beyond friendship. Still she isn't ready to admit those feelings to anyone else, let alone Booth, so for now she has to make the best of things. And sleeping with Booth's arm around her is definitely the best, especially when accompanied by such sweet dreams.

Stretching, Brennan crawls out of her sleeping bag slips on her canvas shoes, and then crawls out of the tent. She finds Booth beside a small fire heating some water.

"Morning Bones." He greets her cheerfully. As he looks at her, her braids almost loose, he can't get the image of her sleeping on him out his head. He'll have to shake these thoughts soon or he won't be able to concentrate on the tasks for the day.

"Morning." Brennan replies as she makes her way over to him. Booth has yet to dress fully and he's still wearing the wife beater he had on last night. Brennan vividly recalls the feeling of his arm around her as she watches him work and his muscles flexing as he does so.

"Hungry?" he asks. Brennan nods as she stretches, effectively making her tank top ride up just slightly showing a band of toned skin of her abdomen. Booth's eyes go directly to the exposed skin and his mouth instantly goes dry. He tears his eyes from her body and looks back to her face before she notices. After working out the kinks in her back she moves forwardand takes a seat on the grass opposite him.

"Here." Booth passes her a small cup with coffee in it, smiling at hearing her moan her appreciation of the aromatic brew. As she sips it, Booth passes her an energy bar.

"Is this it?" she jokes.

"Hey, give me a break." Booth laughs. "I didn't have time to do the steak and eggs." Brennan smiles and sips more coffee.

"So, you eventually sleep okay?" he asks, a sly smile hiding behind his eyes. Brennan nods, unable to meet his eyes for fear that she'll give away her feelings.

"What's the plan for today then?" she asks, changing the subject.

"I thought we'd head for an area not far from here where a cabin has been spotted. Probably built by Cooper." Booth smiles.

"We still don't know that who we found was Cooper." Brennan reminds him. _Someone has to remain objective_.

"So your squints will ID him soon. Angela will work her magic with the skull on that machine of hers and hey presto." Booth claps his hands and grins.

"You always over simplify things." Brennan shakes her head and smiles.

"Well we'd never get anywhere if I had to spend all day trying to understand the whole process." Booth tells her with a grin. _I love his grin_ Brennan thinks.

They finish breakfast and take turns in the tent dressing and preparing for the day. Once they are both fully dressed and ready they continue on cleaning up the campsite and repacking the tent before heading on to search for more clues.

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	3. Chapter 3

**_Wow, thanks to everyone for reviewing the last chapter. I'm glad you all like the story so far. Here's the next chapter. I hope it satisfies all the fluff bunnies in you. And BonesDBchippe, I know I've already said thanks but thanks again. Your help is invaluable._**

The hike through the woods to the cabin takes a couple of hours due to the rough terrain. Booth takes the lead and Brennan follows close behind, stepping where he steps at the more dangerous parts of the rough trails. By late afternoon they have found no evidence of a cabin where it should be and Brennan has noticed the air becoming more humid and the sky darkening. _A storm_ she worries.

"Booth." Brennan calls out to her partner. He stops and turns, his eyes focused on her intently when he hears her solemn tone. "There's a storm brewing." She tells him. Booth glances up and scans the darkening sky.

"I guess we should find some shelter." He suggests.

"What about the tent? Can't we use that?" Brennan asks.

"It could be dangerous if it rains." Booth explains. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the now crumpled map. "I think I remember seeing an old mineshaft on the map."

"Well find it quick because it's starting to rain." Brennan blinks as a few drops of rain begin to fall around her. Booth scans the map, checks his compass then signals for Brennan to follow.

"It's not far--this way." Booth waves her on and ups his pace. Brennan hurries to keep up as they go up a slope then down an incline, winding their way through the tick trees and undergrowth.

The rain begins to come down heavier around them and within minutes the slanted ground beneath their feet becomes muddy and slippery.

"Watch your step Bones." Booth warns as he tests a rock before standing on it. Brennan carefully steps everywhere Booth steps, her feet sliding into his muddy footprints.

"How much further?" Brennan says loudly to be heard over the now pounding rain. She is soaked through and becoming very cold very quickly.

"It's not far." Booth replies as he wobbles on a rocky piece of ground. "Watch." He calls out to Brennan as he steps off but it's too late. Her foot hits the unsteady ground on the slope and with a gasp she loses her balance and begins to fall. As she slides past Booth, he desperately reaches out to grab her arm but misses. He watches in horror as Brennan slips uncontrollably about thirty feet down the incline, only coming to a stop when her body slams into a fallen tree.

"Bones." Booth shouts as he scrambles down to her. "Bones, you okay?" he asks as his eyes scan her face and body. His heart is pounding as he worries for a moment that Brennan might be hurt. But her efforts to get back to her feet assure him she has not injured herself and he leans over to help her up. Hoisting her to her feet with his hands under her arms, he keeps an arm around her waist as she shakily finds her footing on the slippery terrain. Finding her feet, Brennan clamps her arm around Booth's shoulder to keep her steady. Her heart is pounding furiously from the scare and what could have been a very dangerous fall.

"Bones?" Booth asks. She looks at him, seeing rain running down his face and a look of concern in his eyes.

"I'm fine." She states. "Let's just keep going." She bites back a groan and winces as she moves, her whole body aching from the fall.

"Come on." Booth grasps her hand as they start back up the incline. Brennan grips his hand tightly and grits her teeth as every bone in her body throbs. When they reach the spot where she fell, Booth tugs her in a new direction.

XxXxXxXxX

Within a few minutes the ground begins to level out and is easier to navigate. Brennan then spots the mineshaft Booth talked about. When they reach the entrance, she can see that several pieces of broken wood, which look like they used to form a barricade over the entrance, lie scattered on the ground. Booth kicks them out the way and pulls Brennan out of the rain and into the mineshaft. As they stand just inside and under shelter from the rain, Brennan and Booth both realise at the same time that their hands are still joined. They drop each other's hands as if they're on fire and step away from each other.

"Wait here, I'll check out the inside." Booth tells Brennan. She nods and drops her backpack on the dry ground before hugging her arms around her chest. She can feel her whole body shaking, and it is not just from the cold. A loud clap of thunder sounds, making her jump and her eyes widen in fear. _Please, not now. I don't want Booth to know _she thinks.

After a couple of minutes, Booth returns from deep inside the mineshaft carrying a bundle of sticks and larger pieces of dry wood.

"It looks unoccupied." He grins, not seeing the terrified look on Brennan's face because she has her back to him. "We should get a fire started so we can dry off." He drops the wood on the ground and crouches down, starting to organise it for making a fire. Brennan stands still, looking out the entrance of the mineshaft at the storm battering the hillside. She sees a bright flash of lightening followed quickly by a loud clap of thunder, indicating the storm is almost on top of them. She jolts, her whole body tenses and she backs a few steps further from the entrance.

"Hey, are you going to help me with this?" Booth asks cheekily from his position on the ground, still oblivious to her fear. Brennan snaps her head around at the realisation that he has been talking to her. She didn't hear what he asked though, her mind was back to when she was six and caught in a similar storm to this, only without the shelter she has now. _Pull yourself together Brennan, you don't want Booth thinking you're weak_ she tells herself. She sucks in a deep breath and crouches down to assist him with the fire, hoping he doesn't notice how much her hands are shaking. Typically though, Booth does notice.

"Bones, you're shaking." He states, his eyes focused on her hands. _Something is wrong_ he senses but he doesn't push.

"Oh. I'm just cold." She lies.

"You won't be for long." Booth smiles as he lights the fire with matches from the waterproof pouch in his pack. When the small flames begin to turn into larger ones as the wood catches fire, Booth sits back close to the fire with a look of pride on his face. Brennan tries hard to smile back but the booming thunder outside has her on edge. Suddenly there is a bright flash followed by a loud crack of thunder right outside and Brennan jumps, falling from her crouched position by the fire onto her backside. Booth glances at her then outside at a tree which has just been struck by lightening and is in flames.

"Bones?" he questions. This time he doesn't miss the terrified look on Brennan's face. Her eyes are wide and bright, her body tense and shaking. "Bones what's wrong?" he probes, scooting over to her side.

"Nothing." She whispers.

"It doesn't look like nothing." With Booth staring at her intensely, Brennan lowers her head and pulls her knees up to her chest. Now by her side Booth sits close not knowing whether to stretch an arm across her yet or not. "Come on, you can tell me anything." Brennan only shakes her head. The next flash of lightening and boom of thunder makes Brennan jump again and Booth puts two and two together.

"It's the thunder and lightening isn't it?" he asks softly. _She's afraid God, she's more than afraid--she's terrified_. Brennan doesn't respond. She is locked in a memory so fresh it could have happened yesterday.

_Six year old Temperance Brennan ran carefree, hand in hand with her best friend Carly Winters, across a large field as heavy rain pounded down on them. The girls giggled as bright flashes of lightening streaked the sky. Breaking contact with her friend, Temperance danced in a circle, her arms above her head, enjoying the feeling of fresh rain after a long dry spell. A sudden flash and loud crack sent shock waves through her body and she was thrown to the ground, momentarily stunned. Lifting her small head from the wet ground Temperance looked over and her eyes widened when she saw Carly lying motionless on the grass, smoke rising from her body. Temperance rose to her feet and scurried over to her friend. The sight that met her was horrific. Raw burns covered Carly's body. Her clothes were burned beyond recognition and smoke was billowing from the centre of her chest where a large hole had been burnt. Even at such a young age, Temperance knew that the lightening did it. Her parents had warned her but she didn't appreciate that warning until that moment. _

Booth watches in shock as Brennan seems to shut down right in front of him. Gone is the strong feisty woman he knows and replacing her is a frightened soul. She doesn't respond when he says her name and the pained expression on her face scares him. Booth reaches out for her, desperate to illicit a response.

"Bones." Brennan's head snaps up when she feels a soft hand on her cheek. She cannot stop the tears from running down her face or her chest heaving from the sobs, her body still shakes out of her control. "Hey, hey you're okay." Booth wraps his arms around her shoulders and pulls her to his chest. "You're okay." He repeats as he strokes her hair and rubs circles on her back. "You're safe." He whispers, rocking her gently. Brennan clings to him, burying her face in the damp material of his T-shirt.

Booth has lost track of how long he has been holding Brennan. Any pleasure he might have gotten from having her so close is marred by her fragile emotional state and instead of thinking about how soft her skin is or how she is molded to his body perfectly, Booth is wondering what event in her past caused this extreme reaction to a simple storm. He soon gets his answer. Brennan pulls herself together enough to stop crying and shaking and lies motionless in his arms, her body limp and exhausted.

"Her name was Carly." She says, her voice low and grainy. "We were six years old and playing out in the fields behind my house. It started to rain and we began dancing and playing in it." She pauses, her voice breaking slightly as she recalls the memory again. "Carly was struck by lightening in the middle of the field, right next to me."

"Bones…"

"I was terrified. I couldn't move and I sat out there in the rain with her for what felt like hours until my dad and Russ came looking for us." She continues, almost oblivious to Booth's presence, lost in the memory. "I remember them taking me to hospital then home and giving me ice-cream, lots of ice-cream." Booth thinks he sees a small smile on her face. "My parents wouldn't let me go to her funeral and we moved away not long after that. But I never forgot her or what happened. Every time there was a storm...I shut down. I would hide in closets, under the stairs, in the basement. Russ would sit with me, hugging me like this." She shifts her position, trying to get closer to Booth. "He always made me feel safe."

"You're safe with me Bones." Booth whispers into her hair.

"After Russ left, I was on my own and whenever there was a storm, all I wanted was for him to be there with me. It didn't matter about what had happened with my mom and dad, I just wanted my big brother." She pulls back from Booth, sitting up straight but not pulling out of Booth's embrace entirely. "I thought I would grow out of it and I know the statistics on strikes and deaths, but it doesn't change how I feel. God, I hate how it makes me feel. Every time I'm in a storm, this happens - this time it was worse because the lighting struck that tree." She lifts her hand and wipes her tear stained cheeks.

"Bones, it's okay to be afraid of something."

"It's an irrational fear."

"No, it's perfectly rational. You saw your friend killed by lightening and at such a young age it's bound to make a lasting impression on you." Booth tells her. Brennan can't help but jump when a loud clap of thunder signals that the storm is still raging. For a brief period she had actually managed to forget about it, like she did when Russ was with her. Booth automatically pulls her to him again and wraps his arms tightly around her.

"I'm not going anywhere Bones." Booth whispers as he gently rocks her. His eyes drift to the fire then to Brennan's face. As he gazes at her, her eyes drift closed and her whole body relaxes as she falls into sleep, exhausted by the release of emotion. Booth reaches with his left arm to the pile of wood near by and tosses a few more pieces on the fire, then shuffles backwards a little so his back rests against the wall of the mineshaft, careful not to wake Brennan. Within reach of his backpack again, Booth pulls out the radio Ranger Jenkins left with him and he tunes it to the right channel, calling out for acknowledgement.

"This is Jenkins, how are you guys doing, over."

"We're taking shelter in the mineshaft on map grid A, over." Booth relays their current position.

"Weather report suggests the storm should pass in the next two to three hours. Best to stay put Agent Booth overnight, over." Jenkins replies.

"Will do Jenkins, over and out."

"Roger that." Jenkins signs off. Booth looks down at Brennan again and is somewhat relieved to see a more relaxed expression on her face. Hugging her tightly, he leans his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. _Might as well get some sleep since we aren't going anywhere for a while_.

It is dark and still raining when Brennan stirs from sleep, remembering vividly her earlier breakdown in front of Booth. She never intended for him to find out her biggest weakness because she was sure it would change his opinion of her. _He didn't ridicule me for it but he probably thinks less of me now_. As she lifts her head up she realises she is still wrapped up tightly in Booth's arms. She glances over at the dying fire and wonders what time it is. In moving her arm to check the time, she disturbs Booth who wakes with a grunt and a jolt.

"Sorry." She whispers.

"Hmm. What?" Booth blinks his eyes a few times as he wakes up fully.

"I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I wasn't really sleeping." Booth replies. "You okay?" he asks straight after. She nods and disentangles herself from him embrace.

"I contacted Jenkins." Booth tells her. "We should probably camp out in here tonight." Brennan only nods in reply. "You warm enough?" he checks.

"I'm fine."

"Okay, well I should probably go find some more wood to keep this fire going overnight." He gets to his feet and somewhat hesitantly heads into the blackness of the mineshaft, not quite wanting to leave Brennan's side. In his absence, Brennan draws her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them tightly. Her clothes are dry now and she isn't really cold but her body begins to shiver, missing the warmth of Booth's body against hers. She had felt so safe with him, safer than Russ had ever made her feel and she struggles to understand why that is. Shaking her head, she slowly rises to her feet and as she gets up she realises how sore her body still is from the fall. She has a few scrapes and bruises she can see and she's sure a few she can't under her clothing. In the midst of the storm it had been put to the back of her mind. She begins to stretch out her back, arms and legs, feeling the muscles loosening and the pain subsiding slightly. When Booth returns she feels much more herself. It always happens this way. One minute she's a mess, the next it's over. The only difference is there isn't usually anyone around to witness it.

"There's enough broken wood here to keep the fire going all night." Booth smiles. "You hungry?"

"A little." Brennan replies. "Please tell me you have something other than cereal bars in there." She gestures to his backpack.

"I can't promise that Bones." He laughs. "How about a little help?" he thrusts some wood into her arms and strides past her to the fire. A smile crosses Brennan's face as she realises Booth isn't going to treat her any differently, even after seeing her break down.

The pair settles down for the night, slipping into their sleeping bags fully dressed for extra warmth. As the fire burns brightly, Brennan leans to the side, resting her body against Booth. She wants nothing more than for him to hold her again but she can't bring herself to ask him. But she doesn't have to. When Booth feels Brennan leaning into him, his arm slips around her shoulder and he pulls her close. She settles in and lets her head fall onto his shoulder. This time Booth allows himself to feel the pleasure of holding her. He can't keep his hand away from her hair and as she drifts off to sleep again, his fingers tangle in her locks. There was a time not so long ago, when Booth never thought he would get this close to her. She had very high, very thick walls built up and while he knew he was breaking them down brick by brick, it hasn't been easy. _But this is a breakthrough_ he thinks. _She's really letting me in_.

xxxxx

Booth wakes when the bright morning sun shines through the entrance to the mineshaft and settles on his face. Blinking his eyes open, Booth looks down to see Brennan tucked up at his side, her arm draped across his stomach. _She looks peaceful_. She doesn't stay in that position for long though. As Booth shifts his weight, Brennan wakes from her slumber and pushes herself upright and away from Booth.

"Morning." She greets him sleepily.

"Morning." Booth returns with a grin. "We should probably get moving quickly, we lost a lot of time yesterday."

"I just need a few minutes." Brennan tells him as she stretches her arms in the air and works the knots out of her back. While Booth moves around making sure the fire is out completely and packing his bag, Brennan sets about packing her sleeping bag away. She still can't believe how easy it was to be so close to Booth. His feelings towards her were almost as difficult to work out as first semester Organic Chemistry class. There were times when she was sure he was going to kiss her then others when he didn't seem to have any interest in her but as a friend. But the way he was so tender with her last night suggested perhaps his feelings were more obvious than she thought.

"Hey Bones, you ready?" he interrupts her thoughts.

"Yes." She replies firmly as she rises to her feet.

"Okay, lets get going then. Chop chop." He claps his hands together then gestures for her to follow him out the mineshaft. Brennan slings her backpack over her shoulder and slips her other arm through the strap, securing the weight evenly across her back. As she walks out into the morning light Brennan knows she'll need to sort things out with Booth once and for all but right now, in the middle of nowhere and caked in dried mud, isn't the time.

**_Please send me a review so I know what y'all are thinking about this story. Go on, you know you want to._**


	4. Chapter 4

****

The storm the previous night seemed to have cleared the air as it is much less humid than before. The sun is shining brightly through the tree canopies and after only half an hour of walking, Brennan has to stop to take off her jacket. She calls out to Booth who is several yards ahead of her. He stops and turns to see her dropping her backpack on the forest floor.

"What's up?" he asks, making his way back to her.

"I'm just…" she begins to wriggle out of her jacket, finding it a bit difficult because the material is stiff from drying out after the storm. "A little…warm." as she struggles with the sleeve on her left arm Booth chuckles and steps closer to her. He grasps her arm and pulls on the sleeve, unable to stop thinking how doing this reminds him of when Parker needs help with his jacket. He turns Brennan in a circle, pulling the jacket off as she spins. As she tugs down her black vest, Booth holds her jacket, smiling at how sexy she looks in her braided pigtails with loose strands framing her face, cleavage enhancing vest and tight jeans.

"What?" Brennan asks, glancing up for a moment and catching Booth staring at her.

"Nothing Bones." Booth lets out a content sigh. "Here." He hands her back her jacket and she ties it around her waist before reaching for her backpack. Before she can sling it back over her shoulder, both she and Booth hear a shrill ringing coming from the backpack. Brennan digs around in a side pocket and pulls out a satellite phone.

"Brennan." She answers, plugging one ear with her finger.

"Sweetie, it's me." Angela's voice comes over a little crackly. "Can you hear me?"

"Barely. Do you have something for me?" Brennan asks, beginning to move around a little hoping to catch a better connection.

"Zach studied the remains. He's confirmed that they were in the woods for approximately twenty years. Cause of death is blunt force trauma. We found wood fragments imbedded in the bones on the legs, spine and in the skull." Angela explains. Brennan turns to Booth.

"Blunt force trauma killed our victim." She relays. "Did you get an ID?" she asks Angela.

"Dental records turned up nothing. I reconstructed a face and ran that too. No matches."

"No ID yet." Brennan explains to Booth, pulling the receiver away from her mouth.

"I cross referenced my sketches with known images of DB Cooper."

"And?"

"And I can't say it isn't him. But I can't say it is either." Brennan remains silent, unknowingly driving Booth crazy by not telling him what Angela is saying. "They have similar features and the height and weight match but there isn't enough to confirm an ID." Angela finishes.

"Thanks Ang." Brennan sighs.

"Bones, what did she say?" Booth asks, rubbing his hands together, his face a picture of anxiousness.

"Call me if you find anything else." Brennan hangs up the phone and slides it back into the backpack. "Angela cannot say definitively that the skeleton is Cooper."

"But she didn't say it wasn't?" Booth asks hopefully.

"For now." Brennan provides him with some of the hope he is looking for.

"And someone killed him?"

"Yes, most likely with a plank or log of wood. There were wooden splinters imbedded in the bones."

"Nasty." Booth shakes his head and winces.

"The victim was tall and fairly muscular so whoever killed him had to have been of equal proportion. I'd say his killer is…or was another male, probably of a similar age."

"You know Bones, one of the theories out there is that Cooper had an accomplice. Maybe this accomplice killed Cooper to keep the money for himself."

"Or Cooper killed his accomplice." Brennan offers with her eyebrows raised in conjecture.

"Now you're thinking like me." Booth grins and grasps her bare shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"God help me." She raises her eyes to the sky in feigned horror.

"Wow Bones, I never thought I'd hear you ask Him for help" Booth says with a playful smirk. For his jovial mood Booth receives a firm but playful punch to the arm!

"Come on Bones, the sooner we find the cabin, the sooner we might have some answers." Booth grasps her elbow and tugs her onwards.

xxxx

When Booth finally spots the cabin through the trees two hours later, a wide excited grin spreads across his face.

"Hey, over there Bones." He points to show her where to look. Her eyes scan the trees and she spots what Booth has found; a run down shack with a small porch surrounded by thick brush and trees.

"The cabin." She says under her breath.

"Come on." Booth grabs her hand and tugs her towards the cabin. Brennan can't help but feel his enthusiasm. They reach the front of the cabin and Booth lets go of her hand, a little reluctantly. He stares at the weather beaten wood which forms a very rough structure.

"Do you think anyone still uses this?" Brennan asks, glancing around.

"I'd have to say yes." Booth places his hand on her back and pushes her forward to where he has spotted a tin pot, mug, plate and kerosene lamp sitting on one of the steps. The scraps of food on the plate suggest that not only does someone live here but they have been here recently. This puts Booth on edge a little, Brennan notices him tensing up. She knows when Booth does this that he's getting prepared for something and she immediately feels her own body tense.

"We should take a look around." Booth tells her as he shrugs off his backpack and pulls something Brennan doesn't see from a side pocket, sliding whatever it is into his back pocket. Brennan follows his lead and drops her backpack at her feet. Booth signals for her to go one way while he goes the other.

"Be careful." He whispers as he moves away from her to the left side of the cabin. Brennan goes to the right and switches to high alert mode, looking and listening for anything.

xxxx

As Brennan rounds the corner of the cabin, she senses she is not alone. But before she can ready herself for whoever is behind her, she feels a searing pain in the back of her knee and she hits the ground hard. Rolling over, with tears in her eyes, she sees an old man in dirty ragged clothes looming over her with a thick branch in his hand, obviously what he hit her with. Her eyes widen with fear and she wants to call out to Booth but the pain is interfering with her thought process.

"Freeze!" A familiar voice calls out. Brennan turns her head to see Booth approaching with his gun drawn, from the back of the cabin. "Put that down!" he yells. The old man looks at Booth then at Brennan and slowly lowers the offending weapon. "Bones, you okay?" Booth glances at her as he moves closer, his heart pounding at the sight of her writhing on the ground, in serious pain. Brennan bites down on her bottom lip to stop from crying out and manages to nod as she clutches her hands over her throbbing left knee.

"Now back away!" Booth calls to the old man. Clearly intimidated by the gun, the old man begins to back away from Brennan. His steps seem laboured and he stumbles a little as he moves. Booth keeps walking forwards with deliberate steps until he reaches Brennan's side. He briefly crouches down beside her and looks down into her eyes, silently assuring her that he has the situation under control. But with the threat of her attacker he quickly rises back to his feet. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back." He instructs the old man who complies, knowing that a man with a gun should not be argued with. Booth holsters his gun and whips out a set of handcuffs from his back pocket. He then handcuffs the old man and instructs him to kneel down and not move. With the old man secure, Booth moves back over to Brennan. She is lying curled up on her side, her hands clutching her knee.

"Bones…" Booth reaches out for her and his hand brushes the hair from her face. As he locks onto her eyes he can see them filled with tears. "Let's get you up." He says as he slips his hands under her arms and pulls her upper body off the forest floor. She seems to cling to him, biting back a cry of pain. "Your knee?" he checks. Brennan nods and tries to take a few deep breaths. She watches as Booth's hands gently remove hers from her knee then delicately feels the joint. Brennan cannot contain a cry when his hand reaches the back of her knee. "What do you think?" he asks her, looking for her professional opinion.

"Not dislocated." She gasps. "But a first aid kit and some ice right now would be a really good idea, a hospital in the near future if it's not too much trouble." Booth chuckles at her attempt to make a joke and brushes his hand over her hair, letting it come to a rest on the back of her head, holding it there for a moment. He glances behind him at the cabin then over at the old man.

"On your feet." He calls to the man. The old man looks over his shoulder at Booth and with a great deal of difficulty without the use of his hands, he staggers to his feet. "Into the cabin." Booth knows he sounds harsh but this man attacked Brennan and could be their killer so he wants to maintain authority over him. The man moves slowly and deliberately across the forest floor towards the cabin. Keeping one eye on him, Booth changes position and pulls one of Brennan's arms around his shoulder. He slides his own arm around her back and with the other under her legs, he rises to his feet, Brennan secure in his arms. Brennan bites back a cry and hangs onto Booth, her eyes clamped shut as she tries to block the pain. Following the old man into the cabin, Booth cradles Brennan to him, wishing he could take away her pain.

Once inside the cabin, Booth glances around at the musty, cobwebbed interior and his eyes settle on a roughly made bench covered in a moth eaten blanket. _It'll have to do_ he thinks as he moves towards it. The old man hovers in the corner, watching the man and woman intently. He sees the man lower the woman to the bench gently and kneel on one knee at her side. His hand caresses her cheek, Brennan still trying to breathe through the pain, before he rises and turns to him.

"Okay, who are you?" Booth asks.

"I could ask you the same thing, trespassing on my property." The old man grumbles.

"We're with the FBI." Booth tells him, straightening his back to gain some height on the man who is a few inches taller than him. "Agent Booth, Dr Brennan." He nods to his partner who is half lying on the bench, gritting her teeth. "And you would be?" He nods at the man.

"You can call me Ike."

"Ike what?"

"Just Ike."

"Fine then Ike, do you live out here permanently?" the old man just nods.

"For how long?" Brennan asks through gritted teeth.

"A long time."

"How long?" Booth presses with a firm tone in his voice.

"I suppose it's been…" Ike pauses to think. "Maybe thirty years." Booth glances knowingly at Brennan. The time frame Ike has provided fits with when DB Cooper made his dramatic escape. _This could mean he knew Cooper, or is Cooper_ Booth thinks.

"Do you know anything about the remains found down the mountain?" Brennan questions. For now, her mind focused on Ike and not her leg.

"I wondered when those would be found." Ike smiles.

"Is that a yes?" Booth asks.

"Yes." Ike grumbles. "But I didn't kill him." _Intentionally._

"I find that hard to believe. You attacked my partner with a similar weapon used to kill the victim."

"It's a forest Agent." Ike replies. "The only weapons out here are rocks and wood."

"He has a point Booth." Brennan pipes up from the bench. She struggles to sit up, wincing and gritting her teeth as pain ripples through her leg from her knee. Booth glances over at her and notices how her cheeks are flushed.

"So that's why you're trespassing? You think I killed the guy." _Well, I did but that was a long time ago and I had no choice_.

"How did you know it was a male we found?" Brennan asks.

"Don't get many women up here." Ike shrugs. "Especially pretty ones like her." Booth's eyebrows narrow and he purses his lips at Ike's comment. He can see how uncomfortable it has made Brennan feel.

"Do I have to keep these on? I'm no threat to you and the lady." Ike turns to the side a little and wiggles his restricted hands. Booth assesses the old man; his hunched shoulders and tired eyes. He also recalls how the man stumbled when he walked and struggled to stand. He then decides that since he's the one with the gun and he has no evidence that this man actually did anything other than assault someone he thought was a threat to him he could remove the handcuffs.

"Fine, but I'm watching you." He moves over and takes off the cuffs. Ike rubs his wrists and moves over to stand by the fireplace.

"You want some coffee?" Ike asks as he lifts up a large tin container. Booth looks at Brennan then back to Ike. "No…thanks." Booth replies.

"I could use some water." Brennan tells Booth, maintaining deep breaths to control the pain.

"I got some fresh stuff out the back." Ike tells her. "I'll go get it." He moves to the door.

"Not so fast." Booth strides across the cabin to Ike's side. "Okay, let's go."

Booth follows Ike out of the cabin to where a large wooden container has been built. Ike dips a mug inside and draws out fresh rainwater. Booth takes a moment to look around and sees how many modern conveniences Ike has created. There is a small roughly constructed outhouse about fifteen feet away, the water container, something that looks like a bath and an outdoor rack where some pots and pans are hanging.

"You do all this yourself?" Booth asks.

"My friend helped."

"This friend wouldn't happen to be the same man who's death we're investigating?"

"Might be."

"Might or is?"

"Is." Ike confirms. "But he died a long time ago."

"What was his name?"

"Dan."

"As in Dan Cooper? DB Cooper?" Booth searches the old man's face for confirmation.

"Maybe." A sly smile crosses the old man's face, partially hidden by his beard. They re-enter the cabin and see that Brennan has moved herself into a more comfortable position, resting her back against the arm of the bench. Ike crosses over and hands her the water.

"Thank you." Brennan replies gratefully. _This man may be a little strange and yes he did attack me but we were invading his personal space_ the anthropologist in Brennan surfaces. _He was just protecting his territory and he seems harmless now. _

"Ike here says the remains belong to a man called Dan." Booth raises his eyebrows.

"Dan, like DB Cooper?" she asks.

"On that, Ike here is not so clear." Booth shakes his head.

"How did you know him?" Brennan asks Ike.

"From around." The old man shrugs.

"Around here or around the city?" Booth queries.

"Both."

"If you didn't kill him do you know who did?"

"Bears." Ike smiles.

"Not possible." Brennan states. "The man was beaten to death." Ike shrugs nonchalantly. _These people don't have anything on me for now but I can't let them go snooping around, they might find something. I need a plan_ Ike thinks.

"I can take you somewhere." Ike says suddenly. "You might find something you're looking for."

"What sort of something?" Booth asks, intrigued.

"Lots of green." Ike nods. Booth glances at Brennan who looks just as confused as him.

"Green?" Booth asks.

"And dead presidents."

"Money?" Brennan sits up straighter, forgetting the pain in her leg for a minute.

"Are you telling us you know where the money Cooper stole is stashed?" Booth stands with his hands planted on his waist.

"Can't say that for certain. But I can take you there, let you FBI people work it out."

"I'm not strictly…" Brennan begins.

"I would appreciate that." Booth interrupts. He sees no reason to let this man think Brennan is not official FBI. It might come in handy him thinking there are two FBI agents here.

"It's a long walk, not easy." Ike says. "You might want to discuss it with the missus." He nods at Brennan. Booth moves over to her and crouches down so he is at eye level with her. As they discuss what Ike has suggested and the implications of it, neither notices Ike slipping out of the cabin.

"He might be leading us into a trap." Booth voices his concern.

"But he might be leading us to evidence of DB Cooper and who killed our victim." Brennan offers. She is getting caught up in the mystery that attracted Booth in the first place.

"I don't know Bones, you're not really in any fit shape to be walking around the mountains."

"I'll manage." She insists. Booth glances around and sees that Ike is not behind him anymore.

"Damn." He grunts and stands up, running across to the back door.

Outside, he scans the woods for a sign of Ike but the man has disappeared. He walks around the cabin to the front and sees that both their backpacks have been ransacked. He curses under his breath as he checks what is left and realises that both the radio and the satellite phone have been taken. Feeling stupid for letting Ike out of his sight, Booth retreats into the cabin.

"Where'd he go?" Brennan asks.

"I don't know but wherever he went, he took our radio and your phone." Booth shakes his head. "I'm sorry Bones, I let my guard down."

"It's not your fault Booth." Brennan assures him.

"Tell me that when we die out here." He mutters.

"Booth." Brennan is a little shocked at his pessimism.

"Bones, without the radio or phone we have no way to contact anyone. Jenkins doesn't know where we are and you're injured." He summarises their predicament.

"I'm not an invalid." Brennan reminds him. "It'll take longer but we'll just have to get ourselves off the mountain."

"Can you even stand?" Booth asks Brennan. He knows they really need to get back to town and find out more about Ike as well as get Brennan some medical attention. Her knee is badly swollen and she is in a lot of pain despite the brave face she is putting on. Booth can see straight through her and it kills him that he can't just whisk her to the hospital.

Without their radio to call the Rangers and get a pick up at their location, they face a long hike through treacherous terrain to get to civilisation.

"Bones?" he looks for an answer to his question as he extends his hands down to help her to her feet.

"Um, yes, I think so." Brennan grasps Booth's extended hands and lets him pull her up. Keeping her weight on her right leg and with Booth's strong arms around her, she manages to stay upright but she knows walking will be a different matter. As she tries to take a few steps across the cabin to the door, she immediately collapses in Booth's arms.

"You okay?" he asks as he lowers her back to the bench.

"I don't think so." She hangs her head and takes a few deep breaths to get through the pain. Finally lifting her head he focuses on his eyes.

"Booth, I don't think I'm going to be walking off this mountain." She states gravely. "The logical thing to do is for you to go without me and come back with help." Brennan sighs.

"Bones, I am not leaving you out here alone." Booth states firmly. The thought of leaving Brennan has never entered his mind.

"I'll slow you down too much."

"I don't care Bones." Booth tells her. "Anything could happen if I left you. Ike could come back and you have no way to protect yourself.

"Okay, you make a good point." Brennan realises. "But…"

"No buts Bones." Booth says. "I've never left you before, I'm not starting now." He says firmly. "So what do we need to do to get you moving?" he asks, clapping his hands together.

"I'll need something to strap my knee up." She tells him. "And you're going to have to help me…a lot." She adds. Booth realises for Brennan to admit she needs help is a big thing so she must know how serious her injury is.

"Okay." He looks around the cabin and spots a dirty piece of cloth in the corner. He retrieves it and returns to Brennan. "This is going to hurt Bones."

"I know."

Booth begins to wrap the cloth around her knee, pulling it tight to secure the joint. Brennan can't restrain the cry of pain that comes out of her mouth as Booth does this. Looking her straight in the eyes he immediately whispers an apology, continuing to tie the rag tightly.

"How does that feel."

"Tight." She grimaces, trying to regain her breath. "It's good."

"Okay, let's try this again." Booth slips his arm around her waist and lifts her off the bench to her feet. He pulls Brennan's arm around his shoulders and grasps her waist tightly. "Right, let's take this slow." He smiles, trying to assure her they'll be fine. Leaning all her weight against Booth, Brennan hops forward on her good leg as Booth takes a step forward with her. They take another few steps and make it across the cabin to the front door.

"You okay?" Booth asks as they reach the door.

"Fine." Brennan relies through gritted teeth. _There's no point telling him how much pain I'm in. It won't do us any good_ she rationalises. A few moments later they reach the bottom of the steps to the cabin and Booth lowers Brennan to the step.

"I'll grab what we need from your pack and put it in mine. He tells her, moving over to where their opened backpacks are lying. As he is gathering the things from her pack he calls to her, "Do you have any ibuprophen in your pack? It might help to take the edge off the pain for a while."

"Yeah, I think I do. Check the small pouch in the front, there's a small bottle and some band aids." She watches Booth as he searches the bag.

"Found them. Let me get you some water. Be right back". Booth runs to the back to quickly retrieve a cup of water and returns to hand it and the caplets to Brennan. "Here you go, these should help, at least a little bit." Brennan took the offered water and pain killers and downs them.

"Thanks, Booth" She says with a genuine smile.

"You set?" he checks. Brennan nods and lets Booth help her to her feet once again. Resuming their grip on each other, Booth leads Brennan down the slight incline and away from the cabin. He figures they should head back in the direction from which they came, knowing the best idea is to retrace their steps back down the mountain. The rangers know where they last were and if they come searching, they're more likely to find the pair.

After a half hour, Brennan feels like she is about to pass out. The pain in her knee is excruciating but she refuses to tell Booth because she knows they just need to keep moving. Still, he senses her extreme discomfort and pauses.

"Bones?" he glances down at her contorted face.

"I'm okay Booth." She grunts.

"No, you're not."

"Booth, the pain isn't going to go away. We just need to keep moving."

"We won't get far if you pass out on me." He cocks his head to the side. "We're going to rest for a few minutes." Brennan sighs heavily but doesn't argue. _A rest would be good about now. _Booth lowers her to the forest floor then takes off his backpack and retrieves a bottle of water. It's warm, but wet.

"Here." He crouches down and passes it to her before straightening up and glancing around, concerned that this Ike character is somewhere around, waiting to attack. _I know he killed that man_.

"Booth?" Brennan holds the bottle out to him but Booth waves his hand, indicating he doesn't want any. "You're not going to be any use to me if you get dehydrated." Booth thinks for a moment and realises she's right so he accepts the bottle and takes a slow drink. After a few more minutes, the pair resumes their trek, Brennan growing weaker and experiencing more pain as they move. Booth knows the pain meds are doing nothing to help her with all the movement.

XxXxXxXxX

An hour later Booth realises that at this pace they are going to be stuck in the open overnight. Brennan seems to realise it too.

"Booth, I need to stop." She leans against him, barely able to keep her body upright. He stops and again lowers Brennan to the ground at the foot of a tall wide tree.

"Booth, I know you don't want to but we're not getting very far. You could get off this mountain in a few hours without me."

"I told you Bones, I'm not leaving you alone." Booth repeats his earlier sentiment.

"We're away from the cabin Booth. Ike has no idea which direction we went in. I can hide."

"No Bones." Booth remains defiant.

"Listen to me." Her voice is firm. "I'm not giving you a choice. You are going to leave me here."

"Bones." Booth is quite surprised by her stance on the subject.

"Leave me your gun and go."

"Temperance." Booth tries using her given name, knowing it always gets her attention.

"Don't Temperance me, Seeley Booth. I don't want to stay out here alone anymore than you want me to but look at me. I can barely stand let alone walk."

"Please don't make me do this." Booth hangs his head.

"Do what?" she asks.

"Bones, the last time I left someone behind, they weren't alive when I got back." He explains. "I don't want that to happen to you."

Brennan thinks for a moment before responding.

"Booth, the more strain I put on my body the worse condition I'm going to be in. Trust me. It's better if I stay here." Booth looks sceptical. "Please Booth. I wouldn't ask you to do this if there was any other way." Booth knows she's right. He heaves a sigh and removes his gun from his belt.

"There is a full clip in here." He explains as he passes it to her. "You see something you don't like, you shoot." Brennan takes the gun and rests it in her lap. Next Booth drops his backpack. "I'll move quicker without this." He seems to be talking more to himself.

"You'll need the map. To get back here."

"I got it." Booth stuffs the map into his pocket after taking a look at their rough position on it. He then kneels down at her side.

"Bones, I promise you. I'll come back." His hand finds its way to her cheek.

"I know you will, and I'll be right here when you do." She smiles weakly. Booth locks eyes with her then leans in and presses a kiss to her lips. It is not a kiss declaring his feelings for her but rather a kiss of goodbye and good luck. Booth knows that there is a chance she may not be alive when he returns. The day is wearing on and the night is going to be cold. With her injured knee she could succumb to shock and the cold. Then there is always the chance that Ike could find her and hurt her, or a wild animal could take her by surprise. Brennan senses this and strokes his cheek with her own hand.

"Be safe." She whispers.

"You too." He rises to his feet and begins to walk away. He turns and looks back at her one last time before disappearing into the thick woods.

**_I'd love to hear what you think so far so please click the little blue button._**


	5. Chapter 5

**_I struggled a lot writing this chapter and I owe its completion to BonesDBchippie. It gets quite intense so be warned. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed, I appreicate you taking the time to tell me what you think. _**

Brennan watches Booth until he leaves her sight, her heart aching with every step he takes. She's used to being on her own in dangerous places; like the time she hiked through mountains avoiding the Chinese army, but she was never injured like she is now. She clamps her eyes shut, hoping to dispel the image of Booth's face as he turned to look at her before walking away. His eyes had been filled with an emotion she can't quite place and it haunts her.

As she opens her eyes to be faced with only the birds and trees for company, Brennan feels tears building up behind her eyes. She didn't want Booth to leave her. She wanted nothing more than to walk off this mountain with him but physically she knew she wouldn't get much further. It seemed like the logical decision at the time and she is always logical. Still, despite how she tries to rationalise it, her emotions are too near the surface for her to restrain and soon the tears spill over and stream down her cheeks. She knows tears will not help the situation right now and even as she takes a deep breath to steady her nerves and wipes with frustration at the wetness on her face, she cannot seem to stop the salty flow. Feeling scared and alone she takes a few more deep breaths and wills the tears to stop.

xxxx

Booth treks through the forest at a fast but deliberate pace. He wants to just run and get off the mountain so he can find help and get back to Brennan but he knows he won't be able to help her if he trips and hurts himself. So he fights the desperate urge to break into a run and concentrates on the ground beneath his feet and keeping his breathing steady. It isn't easy because every time his mind drifts back to that last image of Brennan slumped on the ground against the tree looking pale and weak, his heart pounds and his breathing grows more rapid. The combined guilt that he didn't protect her from Ike and not being able to get her off the mountain himself squeezes his chest. Despite all of this, some of his army training kicks in and every hundred yards or so he stops and ties a scrap of material torn from the lining of his jacket to a tree branch to help him find his way back to her. Pausing for just a moment and glancing up through a gap in the canopies, Booth says a silent prayer for Brennan, putting his faith in his God that she will be right where he left her, alive and well, when he returns. He treks on with an inward chuckle that Brennan would think him irrational or wasting time with such a trivial gesture.

xxxx

As the day wears on and the sky's colours begin to change and darken in to deeper oranges through the trees above, Brennan begins to feel the cold now that she has stopped moving and the sun has shifted lower in the sky. She places Booth's gun on the ground and shifts her weight, pulling her jacket off from around her waist before sliding her arms into the sleeves and closing it at the front. Lifting the gun again, she rests it on her thigh and leans her head back against the tree, taking a few deep breaths. She doesn't know whether she should try to make a fire or not. She can't move to gather wood so she would only be able to use what is within reach and there is the added danger of it attracting unwanted attention from Ike or animals. In the end she decides not to make the fire and she hugs her body tightly and drops her chin to her chest.

Brennan doesn't know how long Booth has been gone but it feels like an eternity now that she's on her own with only her thoughts and a continuous pain in her leg for company. Her senses are on high alert and her head snaps up from her chest as soon as she hears the first twig snap. Glancing frantically around she tries to locate what made the sound and exactly where it came from but she cannot see anything through the thick trees and dulled light. The she hears it again.

"Is someone there?" she calls out, her voice shaking more than she would like. "Ike?" she tests. He's the only other person she knows is out here. "Ike, is that you?" The snapping noises grow closer and Brennan wriggles back against the tree as Ike's looming figure appears through the trees. Her fingers tighten around the butt of the gun and she lifts it off her leg, aiming it at Ike.

"There's no need for that lady." Ike tells her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Why should I believe you?" Brennan demands. "You've already hurt me and you stole our radio and phone."

"I just wanted to slow you two down." Ike says. "Couldn't have you running off bringing those rangers up here." The old man continues to advance towards Brennan making her more nervous. She keeps the gun aimed at him but she can feel her hand shaking, from the cold and probably shock from her injury. She isn't sure if she shoots that she'll hit her intended target.

"Why?" she asks.

"Because I don't want nobody poking around."

"Do you have something to hide?"

"Every man has something to hide." Ike comes to a stop about ten feet from Brennan and sits down on a fallen tree. With Ike keeping a distance Brennan feels less threatened and lowers the gun. Still, she remains on guard, knowing her lack of mobility will prevent her fighting him off should he attack again. But instead of making any aggressive moves, Ike leans down and begins gathering wood. Brennan watches curiously as Ike seems to organise the wood to make a fire.

"What are you doing?" she asks, her head cocked to the side.

"Making you a fire." Ike shrugs and kneels down, drawing a matchbook out from his pocket. "I meant what I said lady, I'm not here to hurt you." He adds as he sets some kindling alight and allows the small flames to grow into larger ones before adding more wood. After a few minutes Brennan begins to feel the warmth emanating from the fire. Satisfied with his work, Ike sits back down on the fallen tree and stares over at Brennan.

"What is it you're hiding?" Brennan asks, her voice softer now. Ike's face scrunches up as he seems to fight answering her question. Finally he relaxes and speaks.

"A lifetime of regret."

"Regret?" Brennan is confused.

"I've spent half my life up here, hiding. I lost my family, my friends."

"Why?"

"I think you know why."

"You were in on it, the hijacking." Brennan sighs.

"Maybe."

"And you killed the man we found, who you call Dan. Didn't you?"

"Yes." Ike admits. "But I didn't want to."

"Why?"

"Full of questions aren't you?" Ike smiles. "Dan and I, we had a deal and he broke it."

"He was going to take the money and run wasn't he?"

"Something like that." Ike nods.

"So you killed him." Brennan sighs. "Is he DB Cooper?" she asks suddenly.

"Maybe."

"Maybe not." Brennan nods, beginning to understand Ike's game. "Are you going to give me any straight answers?"

"DB Cooper is mystery that needs to remain a mystery." Ike says knowingly.

"Why?" _That seems to be a question I'm asking a lot_ she realises.

"Lady, I just want to live out the rest of my days in peace up here. I don't want no FBI turning my world upside down, investigating me and what I…Dan did." Brennan's head snaps up. _Was that slip of the tongue or does Ike mean that he's really Cooper?_ She wonders. _Could Booth be right, could DB Cooper have survived?_

"Your friend will come back and when he does, it would be best if you two just left this mountain and forget you ever met me."

"I can't do that. There's a murder case that has to be closed."

"I'm a sick old man. I haven't got much time left and I don't want to spend that time in some cell." Brennan shifts her weight and grimaces as she jars her knee.

"You're in a lot of pain aren't you?" Ike asks.

"You caused it." Brennan retorts.

"I was just protecting myself. You and your friend are the first people I've seen up here in a long time. I got spooked."

"We didn't mean to do that. We were just investigating a murder."

"I know, and I _am_ sorry I hurt you." His tone of voice sounds genuine but Brennan isn't taking anything for granted.

"I have to go now." He rises to his feet slowly.

"Wait!" Brennan doesn't really want Ike to go, even though he's admitted to murder, because then she'll be alone again. _I never realised how terrifying being out here alone could be_.

"I can't stay. Your friend will bring those rangers up here and I don't want to be found. Please, when he comes back just leave and don't come back." Ike pleads. Brennan stares into the old man's eyes and her anthropological side rises above her investigative one. _He's no threat to anyone up here_ she rationalises.

"I can't promise anything Ike." She nods.

"I know you'll try." He begins to back away from her, retreating back into the woods. As he goes, Brennan feels fear return to her heart. She knows Ike will get as far away from here as possible which means she'll be safe from him but alone and at the mercy of the woods and all its secrets.

xxxx

Booth has already reached and passed the mineshaft he and Brennan occupied the previous night. He only stopped there for a few minutes to catch his breath and rest his legs. There was no sign that the rangers were anywhere nearby so he made the decision to just keep going. Sunlight is fading fast and the air is growing colder so Booth knows he has to get help soon or Brennan might get a lot worse. He understands that she's a strong woman but she isn't invincible and with the combination of an injured knee, shock and the cold she is more vulnerable than ever. Booth can't stop thinking about leaving her up there on her own. There was no real alternative to leaving her yet it took every ounce of strength in his body to walk away, especially when she looked so helpless. Flashbacks to his time in the army assault his mind and his comrade's face is replaced with Brennan's. She is the one lying lifeless in the sand, eyes open but no life behind them. He shakes the image from his head and tries to think about the good times with her. Sparring in the car, dancing in that bar in Aurora, all the dinners they've shared. Brennan's face, sparkling eyes full of life, dances before him and he smiles, spurred on to get off the mountain all the quicker.

xxxx

Brennan leans back against the tree and lets her eyes close for just a minute. She knows she shouldn't go to sleep but she is just so tired and cold and in pain that she can't keep them open. The fire Ike lit burned out some time ago and all that remains are some glowing embers. With her body temperature dropping, the temptation to slip into a different world where she is warm, safe and not alone is so powerful and Brennan has to force her eyes open again. It is dark all around her and the thickness of the tree canopies prevents most of the moonlight getting through. As she stares at her eerie surroundings, her mind seems to create images out of the shadows, confusing and scaring her. Tree branches become monstrous arms reaching out towards her, rocks become creatures creeping ever closer and the hooting owls sound like ghostly calls, haunting her. She has been shivering uncontrollably for a while now, her jacket and the thin blanket from her backpack not providing much warmth against the cold bite in the air. With her arms clamped tightly around her chest and the blanket tucked up to her chin, she sucks in a breath and lets it back out, her breath visible as a faint white cloud. _He'll be back soon_ she tells herself. _He'll be back._

xxxx

Booth is exhausted, the muscles in his legs seem to be burning and his heart is pounding so hard he is sure it must be audible, but he continues to stride through the forest. Behind him struggling to keep up are three Rangers, Jenkins amongst them. Booth found them a few kilometres from the base of the mountain where they had begun to search for the missing partners. After failing to contact Booth by radio, Jenkins made the decision to launch a search party when weather reports suggested another storm was heading their way. He was more than surprised to see Booth emerge through the trees. He was dirty, stumbling and had clearly trekked some distance. Yet when Jenkins suggested one of the Rangers take him back to base Booth had stubbornly refused, insisting on leading the Rangers back to Brennan himself.

"I made her a promise." He told Jenkins. "I don't break my promises."

So Booth leads the way, shining a flashlight ahead of him to light the path back through the woods. He feels his own body shivering in the cold and he can only imagine what condition Brennan must be in. Each time Booth shines his flashlight on a piece of the material he left on branches, he knows he's getting closer to Brennan and it spurs him on. His face is steely with determination and the Rangers, Jenkins included, have learned not to badger him with questions. His first answers had been sharp and curt then he stopped answering altogether. He doesn't have time to be answering questions when his partner needs him.

After what seems like an eternity, the party reaches the area where Booth so reluctantly left Brennan earlier in the afternoon. Booth begins to look for her, his eyes darting around, catching sight of rocks and fallen trees but not Brennan. At last his flashlight catches a figure slumped against a tree. _She's right where I left _her. Booth sets off, sprinting towards her, refusing to let himself feel relieved until he knows that she is alive. As he calls out to her, he stumbles over the rough ground but does not lose his balance. _Please be alright, please be alive._

xxxx

Brennan hears Booth's voice and she forces her stinging eyes open, unsure if it is another figment of her imagination. She can't see him but she does see a bright white light bouncing around, aimed in her direction. _Is it really him?_ She wonders. Lifting her head takes energy she doesn't have but when she does she is able to focus on the light as it grows bigger and brighter. Finally a black silhouette comes into view and Booth is close and getting closer. He drops to his knees at her side and his hand moves straight to her face, cupping her cheek. He tries not to show the shock he experiences when his hand contacts her ice cold skin.

"You came back." She whispers, looking at him through half closed eyes, her body shivering from the cold night air.

"I promised you I would." He smiles and sighs with relief. "We're going to get you out of here. Jenkins is calling a chopper to pick us up from a clearing about half a mile away."

"Booth, I can't walk half a mile." Brennan hangs her head, exhaustion beginning to take over now that Booth is here to look after her.

"You don't have to." Booth shifts positions and slips one arm around her back and the other under her legs. As he rises, he lifts her effortlessly into his arms and hugs her shivering, cold body tight against his body, all of his own exhaustion forgotten.

"I got you Bones." He whispers into her ear as she rests her head against his shoulder. He feels her body relax a little and as two of the rangers catch up to him, Booth begins to walk to them.

"Agent Booth, Jenkins has the chopper on the way. It'll be here in a couple of minutes."

Booth nods and follows them as they lead the way to the clearing. As she is carried through the woods, Brennan finally lets her whole body relax and she closes her eyes drifting into an exhausted sleep now that she feels safe. Booth notices Brennan feeling heavier in his arms. Her arm around his neck is no longer helping to support her weight and for a moment he panics. But as he glances down at her face, he sees she has simply gone to sleep. Her breathing remains steady and rhythmic and her face is peaceful, with only a hint of a grimace on her lips from the pain she is in. He shifts her weight and holds her closer as he stalks through the trees to the clearing, knowing that medical help is not far away.

xxxx

Brennan moans softly and turns her head as her eyes flicker open. At first she is confused about where she is but as she takes in her surroundings, she realises it is a hospital. She also realises that she is feeling no pain, none at all. Lifting her head she looks down and sees that her leg is currently suspended above the bed, strapped up from mid calf to mid thigh. She lifts her hand and sees she also has an IV drip. Her eyes scan the rest of the room and a slight panic rises in her chest as she realises it is empty. Just as she begins to wonder where Booth is he strides through the door of her room but quickly comes to a stop, not expecting to see her awake. The panic subsides and her body begins to relax as she takes in his presence.

"Hey, Bones, you're up." He says cheerfully.

"Awake yes, not up." Her voice scratchy from surgery. She glances down at her knee again.

"I need some water, my throat is so dry." She looks around for a jug of water but quickly sees that Booth is already on it.

Booth reaches to fill a cup with water from the pitcher sitting on the stand next to the bed and puts the straw in it to make it easier for her to drink.

"Here, this should help." He holds the cup for her, noticing her hand is a little shaky. Seeing her wince with the first big gulp, "Whoa, slow down there Bones, take small sips. That tube they put down your throat for surgery always makes it hurt at first." Taking his advise she slows her drinking.

"Better?" He asks pulling the cup back slightly waiting for her response.

"Yes, thank you." She says with a small gasp for air and a sigh. "I didn't realise how much discomfort those tubes could cause." She states with distain. "What time is it?" Booth chuckles softly as he glances at his watch and moves to set the water cup down with the other hand.

"Uh, it's a little after eleven." Booth tells her. "You've been out for a while. Must have been the drugs." He shrugs. "They gave you the GOOD stuff." He winks and moves around the bed and slides into the seat at her side.

"Did you have any good dreams?" He asks with a smirk and a quick raise of his brow suggestively. Brennan does her best to give him her patented glare but in her depleted state it doesn't quite have the effect she wishes and she just nods in the negative.

"The doctor will probably be round later but since I know _you'll _want to know, your knee will be fine in a few weeks. There was some tendon and muscle damage but the surgery was successful." Brennan then remembers waking up when they arrived at the hospital and being whisked into a trauma room. Parts of the memory are fuzzy but she recalls the doctor telling her she needed surgery and asking for her consent amongst the buzz of warming blankets being packed around her to bring her temperature back to normal, monitors being attached to her chest and the flurry of staff tending to her.

"Good." She begins to sit up, pressing her palms flat against the hard mattress. Booth quickly jumps up and reaches behind her, shifting the pillows so she can sit up and lifting under her arm to help her into a more upright position.

"Comfy?"

"It's a little better." She nods. "How soon can we go back to DC?"

"Bones, you _just _had surgery last night."

"I know." She smiles.

"Let's wait to see what the doctor says, Okay? I know you don't like hospitals but we don't want to rush your recovery and risk further injury to your knee." When he sees the frustration on her face he leans forward a little. "Come on, you're a doctor, you know these things take a _little _bit of time to heal." Booth gives her his charm smile and nods, settling back into the chair.

"Booth, I need to tell you something." She lowers her eyes and begins to wring her fingers together.

"Bones?" her demeanour concerns Booth.

"When you were gone, Ike came back." Booth's face hardens and he sits up, leaning towards her. Brennan realises he's probably thinking worst case scenario. "He didn't hurt me." She assures him, making eye contact with him. "But he did admit to murdering our victim." her voice still sounding groggy from surgery.

"He did?" Booth nods, visibly relaxing.

"He also asked that we leave him be."

"The rangers are already up on the mountain Bones." Booth tells her. Brennan turns her head, sinking back into the pillows. "Are you telling me you want to let a murderer go free?" Booth asks sounding rather incredulous.

"I don't know Booth. I just don't see what good can come out of it. He's an old man and we don't have an ID on the victim or anything that would tie Ike to the murder." She sighs.

"You have a confession."

"It won't hold up in any court Booth. It would be his word against mine, and it could be argued that my medical condition hampered the clarity of my mind. Shock and near hypothermia can be a valid argument on ones state of mind."

"Why don't we just wait and see what Jenkins and the other Rangers find before we make any decisions." Booth smiles warmly. "They should be back this evening so that gives you plenty of time to rest." Booth rises to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Brennan asks quickly, her voice sounding anxious and shaky. _She doesn't want to be alone_ Booth realises. He sits back down and takes her hand in his, his thumb tracing soft circles on her palm.

"Nowhere Bones. I'm not going anywhere." He smiles reassuringly at her. Brennan relaxes back into the pillows and as Booth watches her, her eyes close slowly but her hand holds his firmly. Booth brings his free hand up to make soft soothing strokes over her temple and into her hair as she slips back into a medicated slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

**_So here it is, the final chapter of this story. Thanks to all my loyal readers and reviewers. I had some trouble with this chapter but BonesDBchippie came to my rescue...again. A final thanks to her for getting me through this. Coming up...angst, case closure and the fluff you've all been waiting for. I hope you'll review at the end coz otherwise I won't know what you think of the story and the ending I worked so hard to write. It's been a blast...til next time, jemb._**

As night begins to fall, Booth watches Brennan sleeping in her hospital bed. Her colour has returned to a more normal shade and her hair is splade over the pillow. Her peaceful face and sleeping form give him pause to reflect on his feelings for the beautiful woman only a few feet way. The mere thought of her being taken from him just a day ago grips his chest and tightens his jaw. He knows what they have is more than a friendship, more than a partnership and it gives strength to his very being. He's knows Brennan feels it too and everything they've been through has only pulled them closer together, however unspoken their relationship may be. Knowing he needs to meet with Ranger Jenkins and his team he reluctantly leaves Brennan asleep and heads for the Sheriff's office.

XxXxXxXxX

Arriving at the Sheriff's office, Booth sees the Rangers' jeep parked out front as he pulls up. Once inside, the atmosphere tells Booth the men did not find what they were looking for.

"Agent Booth." Jenkins waves him over.

"What happened?" Booth purses his lips as he joins the Ranger.

"We located the cabin but there was no sign of the man you described." Jenkins explains. "We canvassed a three square mile area around the cabin but we found nothing."

"Nothing at all?" Booth is a little surprised to hear this.

"It looked like the place had been cleaned out." Jenkins admits. "He probably knew we would be looking for him. It wouldn't surprise me if he's just hiding out."

"So we just go back up."

"It isn't that simple Agent Booth." Jenkins explains. "This man, Ike, knows these woods better than we do. I'm not prepared to waste my resources chasing after a ghost in the wind."

"But he's a murderer." Booth protests vehemently.

"I'm sorry but you don't have any evidence to prove that."

"He confessed."

"To your partner whilst she was alone and in a questionable medical state." Jenkins reminds him. "I know you want to close your case but I just don't see that happening." Booth sighs heavily and hangs his head. He knows there is no way he can find Ike without Jenkins help and without Ike he has nothing to go on but a set of remains that even the experts cannot positively identify.

XxXxXxXxX

Back at the hospital, Brennan wakes from a long sleep feeling a little better than before. Her throat doesn't hurt so much and her mind seems a lot clearer. As she blinks her eyes open and takes in the now darkened room, she notices that Booth is no longer with her. She feels her chest seize at the realisation that she is alone. Memories of being stuck in the cold, dark forest flood through her and tears begin to burn behind her eyes. _He said he wasn't going anywhere_ she remembers. She blinks her eyes, determined not to cry. _Booth is just my partner_ she reminds herself. _He has no obligation to be at my side twenty four hours a day_. But despite what she tells herself, the feeling of hurt that he left remains and she sinks down into the pillow, turning her head to the side.

XxXxXxXxX

Booth arrives back at the hospital as the sun sets. As he stands in the doorway to Brennan's room he thinks she is still asleep; until she speaks.

"Are you just going to stand there?" she asks, her head turned away from him.

"You're awake." He smiles, feeling elated to see her once again awake, not realising what his absence has done to Brennan. Taking a few long strides, he crosses the room and slides into the chair beside the bed. Brennan immediately turns her head away from him causing Booth to sit up and look at her curiously.

"You okay Bones?" he asks.

"Fine."

"Are you sure? You seem a little…"

"I'm fine Booth." She reiterates, her voice a little harsh. Booth is confused at her tone but doesn't comment, momentarily putting it down to her situation.

"I spoke to Jenkins. They didn't find Ike." Brennan remains silent.

"They're not going back to look. Apparently without further evidence to implicate him Jenkins won't waste resources." Booth continues.

"Fine."

"Bones, what's wrong?" Booth stands up and moves to sit on the bed beside Brennan.

"Nothing." She replies, biting down on her lip, holding back the emotions that are so close to the surface.

"Come on, I know you and I know when something is bothering you." Booth reaches for her hand, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin against his, but is surprised when she pulls back from him.

"Bones?" Finally she turns to face him.

"It doesn't matter Booth." She tells him, a steely determination crossing her face. _I will not cry in front of him_. Booth reaches for her hand, this time grasping it tightly so she can't pull away. He knows how easily her walls can be constructed and refuses to let her build one.

"Bones, clearly it does matter so tell me what it is." Brennan looks into his eyes and her face softens. Booth looks only concerned about her and he is here now.

"I woke up…and...and you, you weren't here." She admits. Booth immediately hangs his head, realising what Brennan has been thinking.

"I told you I wouldn't leave but I did." Booth shakes his head, guilt sweeping over his body. "I thought I could get back before you woke up."

"You had things to do." Brennan sighs. "I shouldn't have expected you to sit here with me all the time. It's not rational." _Even though I want you to_.

"But if you needed me I should have been here. Not everything has to be rational." Booth loosens his grip on her hand and begins to stroke her palm with his thumb. "I'm sorry Bones. I really should have left you a note or woke you to tell you I needed to leave for a little while." Upon hearing his genuine apology, Brennan loses her ability to control her tears and they begin to tumble silently down her cheeks.

"Hey, what are these for?" Booth smiles and wipes her tears away with his other hand taking pleasure in the feel of her milky skin on his fingers.

"I don't know." Brennan smiles through the tears. "I'm just glad you're here."

"I am but its getting late and you should get some more sleep." Booth shifts from the bed to the chair, wishing he could just crawl in with her and hold her. "And I'll sit right here until you wake up again."

"You promise?"

"I promise." He smiles softly.

XxXxXxXxX

After three days in the hospital, Brennan has been discharged by her doctor and cleared for travel back to Washington D.C. Booth arrives early in the morning to pick her up. She is ready to go, sitting in a wheelchair beside her bed looking somewhat impatient.

"Hey, you all set?" Booth asks as he strides into her room.

"Absolutely." She nods and begins to wheel herself towards the door, being careful not to bump her extended leg with a brace on it against any of the furniture. As she passes Booth, he grabs the handles of the wheelchair and pushes her.

"I can do it myself." Brennan turns her head to look at him.

"I know." Booth grins. "Come on, I'm parked out front and I don't think security is too happy about that." He chuckles lightly, knowing full well he can just flash his FBI badge and have security apologising within seconds.

"Don't forget my crutches." Brennan reminds him just before they exit the room. Booth grabs them with one hand and tucks them under his arm before carrying on out into the hallway.

"Ah Dr. Brennan." Her doctor hurries towards them. "I just wanted to remind you to make an appointment with a physiotherapist when you get home." He says.

"I'll remember." Brennan nods.

"And I'll make sure she goes." Booth adds. He knows Brennan wouldn't intentionally not go but she has a habit of losing track of time when she's at work and she would more likely just forget she had to be somewhere.

"Safe travels." The doctor adds as he waves them off.

XxXxXxXxX

When Booth arrives at the motel they had originally checked into a week earlier, he pulls the SUV up to the space outside his room. Brennan pulls off her seatbelt as Booth jumps out and jogs around to her side, opening the door.

"You alright?" Booth asks as Brennan begins to manoeuvre herself out of the car. It isn't easy with the brace she has on her leg.

"I think I need a little help." Brennan admits somewhat reluctantly.

"Okay, let's uh…let me see how we can…" Booth takes a moment to work out the best method of getting her out of the car in one piece. In a moment of inspiration, he pulls her arm around his neck and slips his arm around her waist, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. Shuffling backwards, he carefully draws Brennan out of the car until she is able to rest her weight on her good leg. It was only a few moments, but he relished the time he had her in his arms. A soft groan has him concerned until she turns to smile at him.

"You okay?" he checks.

"Uh fine." She nods as Booth hands her the crutches. She takes a moment to slip her arms through the supports then shakily takes a few steps forward. She regains her composure after being in Booth's arms, thinking that it was nice while it lasted. Booth remains at her side, ready to help should she stumble. Ten minutes later Brennan is settled on the bed in the motel room, her injured leg resting on a large pillow. Booth stands at the foot of the bed, watching her.

"You're staring Booth." She comments without lifting her eyes from her lap. _Damn...Busted!_ "Sorry. _God, she's beautiful._ Um, you need anything?"

"My laptop." She nods in the direction of the table across the room where her laptop bag is sitting. "I want to contact Angela at the lab." Booth quickly retrieves the bag and brings it over to her. She shuffles back on the bed a little, getting more comfortable. As Booth stands at the end of the bed she begins to take the laptop out and set it up.

"Great, okay." Booth nods, rubbing his hands together. "I'm supposed to go meet Ranger Jenkins and the Sheriff. You'll be okay on your own?" he asks, hesitant to leave her alone.

"I'll be fine Booth." Brennan smiles at him, knowing he won't leave her unless he thinks she'll be alright.

"I won't be long. He sits on the edge of the bed looking her in the eyes and reaching for her hand he gives her a reassuring squeeze. "We just need to tie up a few loose ends."

"Like Ike." Brennan nods, a solemn look crossing her face.

"Yeah." Booth nods. "I think he's got what he wanted. We're not going to find him."

"Maybe it's for the best." She sighs.

"I don't agree with you Bones." Booth says softly. "We may not be able to prove it but we both know he's a murderer and I'm not entirely comfortable with letting him roam free."

"I understand Booth, I do." She replies, squeezing his hand back. "But we don't know if it was truly a murder or self defence or even who the victim is at this point. He didn't come right out and say 'I murdered the guy' and you know how I hate conjecture."

"I know." Booth nods. "Listen, get some rest and I'll be back soon." He rises from the bed and moves towards the door. "You sure you don't need anything?" he checks.

"I'm sure." Brennan smiles. Even though in the past she might have felt like Booth was smothering her behaving like this, the care he is showing her just warms her heart and stirs the feelings she has been trying to suppress for so long. She flashes him one last smile as he heads out, knowing he'll be back soon.

XxXxXxXxX

When Booth returns to the motel with dinner; pizza and a few beers, he finds Brennan asleep on the bed. She looks like she's uncomfortable, her upper body twisted away from her legs and her arm resting on the pillow above her head. Her laptop is still open on the bed at her side, the screen dancing with images of skull and crossbones, the screen saver having kicked in. He takes a cursory look around the room and sees the reason she is so sound asleep. A bottle of very strong painkillers is sitting open on the dresser by the bed beside a half empty glass of water.

Booth sets the pizza and beer down on the table, shrugs off his jacket and scratches the back of his head. After a moment contemplating how Brennan might react to what he is going to do if she wakes, he sucks in a deep breath and steps over to the side of the bed. Gently, he lifts her arm from above her head and brings it down to rest on her stomach. Then he leans over her and slips his hands behind her back until they rest over her shoulder blades. In one soft, fluid movement he lifts her upper body and shifts it back in line with her lower body. She moans softly and rolls her head towards him, causing Booth to pause, worried she's going to wake up and chastise him for touching her. But she only smiles in her sleep and nestles back into the pillow. Satisfied she is still asleep Booth pulls the blanket from the bottom of the bed and covers her with it so she won't get cold.

With his work done, Booth switches on the small TV, turning the volume down so it won't wake Brennan, then takes the pizza and beer and with only a moment's hesitation joins Brennan on the bed. He leans back against the headboard, opens the box and pulls out a pepperoni slice. His gaze shifts from the television to Brennan every few minutes, finding her peaceful expression calming. Only a few days ago he was worried he'd never get to see that expression again.

XxXxXxXxX

When Booth wakes in the morning, he opens his eyes to find himself staring at Brennan's face. She appears to be sound asleep and oblivious to the fact that his arm is draped across her waist. Taking only a few seconds to relish the moment, Booth pulls his arm back and sits up, rubbing his eyes with both hands. A quick glance at his watch tells him it is just gone 6.30am. Their flight back to Washington is at eleven so there is plenty of time to pack and drive to the airport. Leaving Brennan to sleep, Booth begins to pack their things, hoping Brennan won't mind that he's packing for her. It doesn't take him long and as he finishes, he hears Brennan waking up.

"Morning." He greets her cheerfully with a broad smile.

"Hey." She mumbles sleepily. Brennan doesn't really want to come out of the sweet slumber after waking up earlier to find Booth comfortably snuggled into her side.

"I packed." He shrugs.

"You didn't have to do that." She tells him as she pushes herself up into a sitting position. He sees her looking down at the blanket and he knows she is thinking how it came to cover her. He holds his breathe but when she doesn't say anything he releases it quickly.

"We've got some time before we have to leave. I was going to go get some breakfast for us."

"That would be great." She nods and runs her fingers through her tangled bed hair. "I should take a shower." _But can I manage to shower by myself_? The look on Booth's face tells her he is thinking the same thing as her, and it brings a smile to her face.

"Go get breakfast, I'll be fine." She nods and begins to shift her body so she can get out the bed. Booth watches for a moment then steps over to her.

"At least let me help you to the bathroom." He says cautiously, not wanting to offend her. She nods her acceptance and slides her arm around his neck, letting him lift her up off the bed and to her feet. Using him as a crutch, she hobbles around the bed and to the bathroom door.

"Uh Booth, can you pass me my bag, I need some things from it." Booth leaves her side and picks up her small bag, bring it to the door. He sets it down just inside the bathroom and backs away.

"I'll be back in a bit."

"I'll be ready."

XxXxXxXxX

It was nearly ten in the evening when Booth and Brennan finally arrived back at her apartment. There had been a number of delays and an unexpected stopover on the way back to D.C, all of which served to exhaust Brennan. The pressure on the plane caused Brennan's knee to swell somewhat and despite the extra leg room from travelling in the first class seating, she had been uncomfortable and in pain the whole way back.

Only now, sitting on the couch in her apartment with her leg propped up on the coffee table with a cushion under it, is she comfortable. The painkillers she took as they left the airport have kicked in and her whole body feels relaxed, though that may also have to do with her company. Sitting beside her, flicking through the channels on her plasma TV is her partner. As she watches him focusing on a cereal advert, she realises just how comfortable she is having him in her apartment. Brennan has always felt like her apartment is her place and only a trusted few are ever invited back here. The fact that Booth has been here more than Angela speaks volumes to Brennan. And after everything they've been through the last few days, she can't help but wonder what could happen if she were to voice her true feelings.

"You okay Bones?" Booth's caring voice startles her from her thoughts.

"Hmm, fine." She nods. "I was just thinking."

"About anything in particular?"

"Uh, just the case." She lies.

"Yeah, speaking of that." Booth twists to face her. "It looks like Ike is going to get what he wants."

"How so?"

"While you were in the bathroom Cullen called."

"Uh huh." Brennan nods, a little part of her wondering why he didn't say anything about this straight away.

"I need to go to the Jeffersonian tomorrow and pick up all the case notes. Cullen wants this investigation wrapped up."

"The case is going to be closed?"

"Yeah." Booth nods. "Since we don't have a conclusive ID on the victim and Ike is nowhere to be found there isn't anything else to go on. Cullen doesn't want to waste any more resources on it."

"That makes sense." Brennan agrees.

"So I guess the D.B Cooper mystery is going to remain just that; a mystery."

"Does that bother you?" Brennan asks, remembering how excited Booth was at the prospect of solving one of the most infamous FBI cases just a week ago.

"You know what, it doesn't." he smiles. "But it would have been nice to be the agent that discovered the truth." a cheeky grin crosses his face and Brennan finds her own breaking into a smile.

"Well, I guess I should head home." Booth stretches his arms out and moves to get up. Inside, Brennan is screaming for him to stay but outwardly all she manages is a nod. "You going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"You sure? I don't want you calling me in the middle of the night because you fell over or something."

"First of all what makes you think I couldn't get myself up if I fell. And secondly, why would you think you I would call you if I couldn't?" she teases.

"Come on Bones, you know why." He grins back.

"No." she says slowly shaking her head. "I don't think I do." _I do, I know exactly why._

"You always call me." He shrugs, leaning across the couch towards her a little.

"I do not." Brennan protests.

"Awe, come on Bones, you know you do." Booth leans back, his chest puffing out. "New Orleans."

"That was different."

"When your car broke down."

"It was going to take three hours to get a tow."

"When you had that leak."

"You're cheaper than a plumber."

"Ha! You don't care about money." Booth knows he's won this time when he sees Brennan stumped for words.

"So, why do I always call you?" Brennan asks with a glint in her eyes. She knows where this conversation is going and while she is a little scared, she is also excited.

"You call me because you need me." He waggles his eyebrows, leaning forward so he is closer to her face.

"I do _not_ need you." Brennan retorts.

"No? You just want me then." He jokes.

"I do not 'want' you." Brennan rolls her eyes.

"Not even a little?" he leans closer.

"Not even a little." she leans closer.

"No?" his lips are millimetres from hers.

"No." she whispers. The kiss takes both by surprise. Booth's lips gently brush hers as his hand rises to cup her cheek. After a few seconds he pulls back. He's pretty sure Brennan will panic if he doesn't do something to keep the mood light so instead of getting into a discussion about how they shouldn't really be doing this and the impact it's going to have on their partnership, he flashes a wide smile.

"So you really don't want me then?"

"Nope." Brennan shakes her head as a smile tugs at her lips.

"Good because I really don't want you either." He leans towards her again, relishing the feeling of being so close.

"Good." She replies as he captures her lips again. This time the kiss is more passionate and soon Booth has Brennan gathered in his arms, mindful of her injured leg, one hand cradling the back of her head. Brennan suddenly pulls back, her face turning serious.

"You know what this means, right?" Booth nods as he places soft kisses on her cheek and down to her jaw. "Booth, we should talk about this." She protests weakly, her mind not functioning as it should as his lips caress her skin.

"We've spent far too much time talking, don't you think?" he asks, his eyes searching hers. Brennan can only manage a nod as she succumbs to the moment and allows Booth to kiss away all her reservations. _We can talk later. Much later._

**_So we're done. Thanks for going on this journey with me. The review button is just down there, see it, on the left. Go on, click it, you know you want to. Click it. Thanks._**


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